


SEVERANCE

by The_Cat_Curiosity_Killed



Series: Awakening [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Nalu - Freeform, Romance, farewell, implied nalu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:51:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3262316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Cat_Curiosity_Killed/pseuds/The_Cat_Curiosity_Killed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A one shot written in honour of chapter 416. Lucy catches up to Natsu and Happy before they leave and they say their farewells.</p>
            </blockquote>





	SEVERANCE

**Author's Note:**

> I think chapter 416 was a blow for all of us and personally I had to cope by writing a trash load of Nalu fiction. Just playing with the idea of what might've happened if Lucy had managed to catch up to Natsu and Happy before they left for their journey.  
> Enjoy :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: FAIRY TAIL BELONGS TO HIRO MASHIMA.

\----------

Lucy's mind was racing as she made her way across town. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, never slowing despite the tears that blurred her vision. Lucy knew these streets like the back of her hand and even with the left over debris lying here and there, the path was still recognisable. She knew it wasn't incredibly far to walk from her apartment to the road that lead out of the town and away from Magnolia. However the urgency of the situation made the distance feel insurmountable.

Lucy prayed they hadn't taken a train. It was unlikely considering Natsu's motion sickness, but perhaps Lucy should have checked the station before running off, just in case... Lucy shook her head, she would find them before they left, she just had too. 

It couldn't be true, they couldn't be leaving. What was that idiot thinking? 

He'd left her a note, he hadn't even said good bye. He expected her to just accept it, to just live without her two best friends for a whole year, with only a messily written letter in compensation? Lucy didn't think so.  
Who would go on missions with her? Who would break into her apartment and set her kitchen on fire? Who would make her laugh and cheer her up when she was sad?  
How could she live without them? Nothing would feel right if they weren't together... Lucy sniffed, trying not to think of the broken key that sat in her apartment, a tiny golden reminder.  
She couldn't lose anymore of her friends, not for a year, not even for a day.  
There was just no way her heart could take it. 

Lucy was close now, she spotted the decorated sign that read 'you are now leaving Magnolia, we hope you enjoyed your stay' and she pushed herself to run faster. She pushed past people, murmuring in apology. Some were strangers, some she knew, but Lucy paid neither attention when they recognised her or called her name.  
There were only two faces she wanted to see right now. 

Lucy ran farther along the outskirts of Magnolia, the town growing farther away with every step she took. At first, the roads seemed bare and Lucy's heart sank.  
I've missed them, she thought, I'm too late.  
Suddenly a glimpse of blue caught her eye. Lucy's legs moved on their own, sending her hurtling in the direction of the far off pair before her mind had even responded. 

Lucy's voice was hoarse from crying, but she raised it anyway “Natsu! Happy!” 

Natsu immediately turned around, he was still a good hundred meters away but he'd heard her loud and clear. Of course he had, he was a dragon slayer after all and he always heard her, sometimes even when she didn't want him to. 

Happy had noticed Natsu stop and Lucy saw his eyes grow wide when he spotted her,  
“Lucy?” he said.  
He looked surprised and also pleased to see her. Natsu's expression however was unreadable. 

Lucy was only a few meters away when she stopped, out of breath and overwhelmed with such a storm of emotions she wondered how she hadn't burst completely. Lucy caught Natsu's gaze and felt herself asking him a thousand silent questions, to which he gave no answers. They both stood like that for a time. It couldn't have been longer than a few seconds, but it felt longer, much longer. 

Natsu was the first to speak, he sighed first, a short, defeated sound, “I kinda thought you might come after us”, he said rubbing his neck with one hand. The action was so casual, just like his letter had been. Lucy felt anger flare in her chest, and in three quick strides she'd closed the distance between them. 

“Are you kidding me?”, she said grabbing a hold of his coat, “you were really just going to leave me that note and then disappear for a whole year? Just like that, without even saying good bye?”  
Natsu's mouth was a straight line, he said nothing as Lucy continued, “Did you think you could just go away and leave me behind like a piece of luggage and I'd be okay with it? I thought we were a team... I-I thought you trusted me, I.....” Lucy's words dissolved into sobs, her anger had turned into something heavier and more piercing. Lucy's hands still clung to Natsu's coat, but somewhere during her outburst, their grip had lost its hostility. What had begun as a way to force him to face her while she yelled at him, had become the only way for her to keep standing as the anger finally receded. The real cause of her tears, the sadness, the loneliness, had caught up to her once more. 

“Don't be upset Lucy! We wanted to say good bye, but we didn't know how to tell you...”, Happy said, Lucy could see the little exceed's eyes starting to water.  
“But why? Why are you guys suddenly leaving...? I don't understand!” Lucy cried, shaking her head.  
Why did they have to go? More importantly, why did they have to leave her behind? 

“Lucy”, Natsu's voice was low as he said her name, the strange, sombre tone catching her attention. Natsu's eyes were hard, Lucy looked for any of the childlike laughter that she could usually see in them, but found nothing.  
“I know you don't like this, but we have to go,” he said, his voice softening as he continued, “I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but I knew you'd be sad and you'd cry...” Natsu trailed off, his eyes sobering, “I don't like seeing you cry”, he said.  
Lucy felt her heart sink at his expression, but she didn't give in right away. Just because he didn't see her cry, didn't mean she wouldn't cry anyway.  
“Of course I'm crying, what did you think I was going to do if my friends suddenly decide to vanish?” Lucy asked, “am I supposed to be happy about it?” 

Natsu let out a long breath, “I'm not happy about it either, do you think I want to leave you and everyone else?” he asked.  
“Then why-” Lucy's words were cut short.  
“Lucy, I don't want to leave all my friends, but I have to go, I have to get stronger if I want to protect the people precious to me. I know I can't get stronger unless I challenge myself, and to do that I have to leave.”  
“But...” Lucy stammered.  
“I'm not going to watch anyone else I care about disappear before my eyes... I'm going to become strong enough to protect everyone,” Natsu looked at her steadily, “this is something I have to do.”  
Lucy knew him well enough to know when he was serious. The way his jaw was set now, the determination in his eyes, Lucy knew there would be no convincing him to change his mind. 

Lucy sniffed, “then I'll go with you... we're a team s-so.. we should stay together.”  
Natsu shook his head, “I need you to stay here and look after the guild.”  
“Why me? Why can't I come with you instead?” Lucy asked.  
“This is something me and Happy need to do alone, besides, there's no reason you should have to leave everyone”, Natsu said.  
“Yeah, and you're the only one who knows we're leaving”, Happy interjected.  
Lucy's eyes widened, “what about everyone else? Didn't you leave them letters too?”

Both Natsu and Happy shook their heads, “you were the only one we wanted to know”, Natsu answered. Lucy frowned, “why only me though?” she asked.  
“Because you're our partner!” Happy replied, the words made Lucy's heart a little warmer.  
“Like I said,” Natsu added with a smile and Lucy realised he hadn't smiled the entire time they'd spoken, “we're relying on you to watch over things until we get back, okay?” he said, and Lucy would have thought he was patronising her, only she could tell that he meant every word.  
He was trusting her to look after their friends until he returned. Lucy was no where near as strong as Erza or Gray, but Natsu had chosen to give the task to her.  
Natsu trusted her, and that made her feel strong enough to do anything. 

She only hoped she had the strength to say good bye.

“I- I...” Lucy's words failed her, there were so many things she wanted to tell them. It would be a whole year before she saw either of them again. Surely there was something she should say, some important, monumental thing that needed to be said before they separated.  
Lucy supposed there could be such a thing, but right now all she could think of was how much she was going to miss them. 

Lucy started as a warm little face snuggled into her neck, “I'm gonna miss you Lucy” Happy said, and Lucy felt tears return to her eyes as she held the small exceed in a tight embrace, “I'm going to miss you too, you silly cat,” she said with a sad smile. It was harder to cry knowing Happy was upset and Lucy soon forgot her own sadness in the desire to comfort him.  
“It'll be fine, you'll see... I'll look after Carla for you okay? And when you come back I'll treat you to dinner.”  
Her words seemed to cheer Happy up quite a bit, “really?” he said, a smile returning to his face as he flew a circle around her head.  
Lucy felt herself smile in return, “really”, she assured him. 

“You're invited too of course,” she added turning to look at the hazel-eyed dragon slayer who'd been silent for a while, “but you can't just break in, you have to give me notice first.”  
Natsu sighed, “I'll try, but you know I'm no good at remembering stuff like that”, he said.  
Lucy frowned, “well then at least use the door instead of the window”, she said knowing full well that she was wasting her time.  
Natsu laughed, “never gonna happen”, he said with a grin.  
Lucy couldn't help herself, she laughed too.  
Once their laughter faded though, the air grew solemn once more. 

This is it, Lucy thought, this is when we say good bye.  
Natsu seemed to be thinking the same thing because his eyes looked at her with a soft, sad expression, and Lucy knew he found a similar one reflected in her own.  
“Don't cause too much trouble out there okay? You might be going away but you're still representing Fairy Tail, so...” Lucy's voice was weakening again and she felt her lecture fall flat. Her eyes were cast down, focused on the toes of her shoes instead of on the man she was meant to be saying good bye to. That was probably the reason why she didn't notice him step closer, at least not until she found herself snug against his chest as she was pulled into a hug.  
“I'll try not to destroy too many towns”, he said.  
Natsu's arms were loose around her shoulders, Lucy found her own wrapping around his waist.  
“Somehow I don't believe you”, she said, her quip sounding rather pathetic thanks to the frailty of her voice. Natsu laughed anyway, it rumbled against Lucy's ear where her head was pressed against his chest. The sound both comforted and saddened her.  
Lucy really didn't want to cry, she was sick of crying. She'd cried so much in these past weeks she wondered how she could possibly have any tears left. 

“I wish you didn't have to go...” she murmured into his scarf, it smelled just like him, like musk, and spice, and warmth.  
Lucy felt Natsu's head rest on her shoulder as he spoke, his words only a breath away from her ear,  
“I'll come back, I promise”, he said reassuringly.  
Lucy buried her head further into his scarf like a child, memorising everything that was Natsu. Every scent, shape, and texture she would have to live without for the next twelve months. 

“I know...” she said, her voice threatening to break once more “I'm just... I'm really going to miss you.”  
Natsu's hold tightened, his voice was surprisingly delicate when he said, “I'm gonna miss you too, Lucy.”

His voice was so soft, Lucy felt her heart swell.  
This was hard for both of them, she knew that now. In fact, it was probably harder for Natsu. He was leaving his friends and his home... things that meant everything to Natsu.  
He was trying to get stronger, so that he could fight for his friends, the way he always did.  
Would she have been able to do the same? Lucy didn't know, but she knew Natsu. And she knew he would do anything to protect the people he cared about, even if it meant hurting himself in the process.  
That was what made him truly strong. How many times had he taught her that?  
True strength, the kind of strength that moved mountains and crossed oceans, it wasn't something you could achieve on your own.  
To be truly strong, you had to be strong for someone else. 

If Natsu felt he had to be strong for everyone, then Lucy would be strong for Natsu. 

“I'll get stronger too,” she said, drying her eyes of the last of the tears that threatened to fall, “I'm going to train hard as well, and I'm going to get heaps stronger, so you better be ready when you get back”, she said, stepping out of his embrace.  
She regretted the action a little, but Lucy knew she had to stop leaning on him at some point, whether it was figuratively or literally.  
Lucy looked up so she could see his face. She needed to remember that too, Lucy noted. Every rosy hair and pointy tooth, right down to the last freckle.  
Lucy locked every detail away for safe keeping. 

Natsu laughed, “I don't expect anything less from a Fairy Tail mage”, he said grinning widely, then added with slightly less enthusiasm, “man, it's gonna suck not knowing what everyone's up too... but I'll be busy training so time's probably gonna fly by”, Natsu said scratching his chin.  
“Yeah, and I'm gonna miss all the yummy fish at our house”, Happy said in agreement. 

Lucy smiled, then suddenly thought of something.  
“Oh-” she said twisting her fingers into her hair where she wore her signature side-ponytail. It came undone easily and Lucy slipped her hands away as her hair resumed its natural shape.  
The ribbon was smooth, black, and sunlight gave it a glossy sheen.  
It was one of her favourites. 

“Here,” Lucy stepped forward and tied it to the brown-leather strap on Natsu's arm, just above his left bicep, “for luck”, she said letting her hands fall back to her sides.  
She stepped back once more, wondering in retrospect if the gesture was, perhaps a little silly.  
“It's not much but... if you get homesick or anything... I don't know, maybe it'll help, and you know remind you of home”, Lucy rambled, it really did seem silly now, it was just a stupid ribbon after all, how was that meant to help anyone? 

“Thanks Lucy,” Natsu said, making her look up in response, “I'll take good care of it”, he was smiling, genuinely grateful for her improvised gift.  
Lucy smiled back, “and I'll take care of things here”, she said.  
Natsu's smile grew, “of course! We'll be counting on you”, he said.  
“Aye”, Happy agreed. 

Soon after, their inevitable departure arrived. Natsu waved over his shoulder as he and his blue companion continued down the road, “see ya, Lucy! I'm gonna get way stronger, and we'll be back before you know it!” he called, a broad grin on his face.  
“Bye bye Lucy, don't forget your promise!” Happy said, and Lucy shouted back that she wouldn't.  
The farther away they got, the lower Lucy's stomach sank. But, no matter how much the sight of them walking away broke her heart, she didn't let it show. 

“I don't like seeing you cry...”Natsu's words were fresh in her mind.  
Her friends were leaving, there was nothing she could do about that... but even so, she didn't want their last memory of her to be sad.  
So she smiled, and smiled, and she kept on smiling, even when they were too far away too see.  
Only when their silhouettes had long disappeared over the horizon did she allow her smile to fall. 

Only when she was home did she allow herself to cry, and when there were no more tears, she tucked Natsu's letter away in a cozy little nook on her book case, where it would be safe.  
Then she went to her desk, and picked up her pen. 

Dear Mom, 

Lucy began before glancing at the keys that rested on her bedside table, and at the broken one that still made her heart ache every time she saw it.  
Lucy looked at her right hand, where her guild mark was, still as vibrant as the day she'd gotten it. Lastly, her gaze fell on her book case, and the reminder of a promise she had to keep.  
When Lucy's eyes returned to her paper, she wrote,

For the people who are precious to me, I'm going to become stronger.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I wrote this a little OOC, but I though the idea was cute so ehh :p  
> Thanks for reading, please don't hesitate to comment :)


End file.
